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Ponyo Ham Ramen (Vegan MoFo #5)

Ending a rough Monday with an easy and tasty meal is ideal, so today I relied upon a dish coveted by many college students: ramen. A Disney film that features this is Ponyo, a light-hearted Studio Ghibli movie that focuses on a friendship… and fish.

Ponyo starts as a cute little fish-girl living with her alchemist father under the sea. Her curiosity is never ending and because of this she loves visiting the human world. As Ponyo keeps interacting with humans, especially her new friend Sosuke, she evolves into an adorable little person. The problems arise when she risks becoming too human, and her father tries to return her to the sea.

Despite all this, Ponyo is always one to have a good time. Especially when it involves ham. Throughout the film she is fed ham at various times and is usually followed by her screaming “HAAAMM!” enthusiastically. It’s quite adorable, and inspired me to try an oddly tasty food combination from the film: ham and ramen.

The following recipe might be a bit on the spicy side for some, so adjust the sriracha as needed. I skipped making a mock hard boiled egg, but if you prefer one for authenticity’s sake then Meet the Shannons has a good recipe.

Ponyo Ramen

Makes 2 servings

Ingredients:

4 oz. uncooked ramen noodles

2 cups vegetable broth

1/2 tablespoon sesame oil

1 tablespoon agave nectar

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon sriracha

2 green onions, sliced

4 pieces of vegan ham (I used Yves brand)

Directions:

In a pot mix the vegetable broth, sesame oil, agave, soy sauce, and sriracha. Bring to a boil and stir in the ramen noodles. Cook for 3 minutes, then set aside for 5 minute. Place each serving in a bowl and top with green onions and ham. Serve while watching this whimsical movie!